NATO – Oscar Valdes

Vladimir and Me

M – Do you take time to be alone?
V – Sometimes. I’m a very busy man, with lots of things to do.
M – It’s a good habit to get into.
V – What’s your point?
M – It centers us. Still, we can be alone and get so busy we’re not centered.
V – What do you mean by centering?
M – Feeling close to ourselves… to our mortality… our aging… our physical degradation… the inevitability of our death… which leads to us affirming our lives… acting as if we matter.
V – We have to be busy and constructive with our lives, so we will be remembered.
M – We don’t know if we will be remembered… or how… we have no such control.
V – With all the advances in data storage, of course we will be remembered.
M – Even if we were, we won’t feel a thing from being remembered…
V – That’s different.
M – How so?

Pause as Vladimir reflects.

V – We have to trust that we will. Stalin is remembered. Hitler will never be forgotten. Ever.
M – What have you learned from them?
V – Determination. Once you set your sights on something, you never relent. Only death should keep you from your objective.
M – Did they contribute to humanity’s development?
V – Stalin saved Russia from destruction. I am here because of him.
M – You don’t think Russia would have produced another leader, if it needed to, to defend itself against German aggression?
V – Maybe… or maybe not.
M – Hitler made a horrible mistake invading Russia… but judging from the pool of talent Russia has… Russia would have pushed the Germans back… with or without Stalin. You were fighting for your life.
Just like Ukrainians are.
V – Ukrainians are fighting a proxy war… they are tools of the West… who’s trying to conquer Russia.
M – People who are tools would not fight with the determination Ukrainians are showing.
V – I am trying to save Ukrainians from the depraved West. They have lost their way. God has abandoned them.
M – God is with you?
V – Yes.
M – A modern day Crusade you’ve embarked on…?
V – Yes. For the good of humanity.

Pause

M – I think you’re filled with envy… that it has overtaken your judgment… and because you don’t allow for other people to counter your views… you do not revise your opinions.
Has anyone ever told you that you’re an envious man?
V – They wouldn’t dare.
M – That’s the disadvantage of dictatorship. I have no doubt that if Stalin had had courageous people around him objecting to his killing his adversaries… Russia would’ve been better off.
V – Stalin would have killed them, too. It was not a time to be soft.
M – You meant not a time to be fair…
V – I meant what I said.
Why do you say I’m envious?
M – Because nations smaller than you, with fewer natural resources, have developed more than Russia.
V – But they don’t have our nuclear weapons.
M – That is your curse. You hide behind them. And you hide Russia behind them.
The war you started with Ukraine is only making it harder for Russians to join in with the rest of the world. Your people could be making important contributions to the advancement of humanity… instead you’ve set your sights on the destruction of a people fighting for their freedom.
It will be hard for Russians to deal with the guilt of having embraced you in the destruction of Ukraine… like it has been hard for Germans to deal with the guilt over the killing of Jews.
V – You say I’m filled with envy… how do you get rid of it?
M – You don’t. You learn to manage it.
V – How?
M – You say to yourself, ‘I am envious. I covet what others have.’ Then you add, ‘but they have worked for it, or they have abilities I don’t have… or I have not yet developed…’ and you accept their difference… and this acceptance of the other leads you to affirm your own difference… to affirm your own talents… your own gifts. And if you are honest in doing so… then you can welcome others as they are, even if they are better than you at one thing or another… and when you truly accept that such a person or nation functions better than you or your nation… you say to them ‘thank you for striving to be your best… for all of us will benefit from it. In turn, my people and I will strive to do the same.’

Vladimir nods pensively.

M – Notice that I didn’t say anything about killing anyone. Nothing about destroying what others have achieved. Or bombing or maiming them.
The journey to conquer envy is a task for every human being, whether educated or not, rich or poor. It is a journey to self acceptance that will help us in our struggle to contribute our best effort to humanity… while we have the energy and wisdom.
V – For me to not be envious would mean accepting that the way I’ve governed has been a big mistake.
M – Yes.
V – I don’t think I can do that.
M – Then you’re choosing to not start on the journey to managing your envy.
Do you prefer instead to keep ordering the killing of Ukrainians, day after day?
All those lives you’ve ended had contributions to make… all of them… but because you’re choosing to not confront yourself and select another path… those contributions will not be made.
Every life ended in this war is a life not fulfilled… a treasure not discovered…
V – I know it will not end well… this war. Sometimes, I think I’ve created an inferno… with me tossing people into it… every day. Sometimes I even think I hear their cries… their anguish as they burn… and I fear that someone will emerge from that cauldron… come for me… and drag me into it.

Does Putin Have an Achilles Heel?

Sun Unleashes Mid-level Flare by NASA Goddard Photo and Video is licensed under CC-BY 2.0

Putin speaks.

The world has not yet acknowledged how complete my domination has been.
From here, in Moscow, I can choose to kill every day. The number I want killed is entirely up to me. I can say, let me fire a missile into this town… no, let me hit the other town… or better yet, both towns. And no one can stop me. No one.
I wield absolute power.
In Washington, Biden scratches his head, every day, wondering how he could stop me. But nothing comes to him.
How have I acquired my power? By building my nuclear arsenal, steadily, improving it and making it clear I’m willing to use it… and by convincing my people that I know best.
How I managed to convince so many people will be studied by historians for years – how I stripped the majority of Russians of the will to be their own person.
And so the world is in awe of me… some may hate me… but they’re in awe of my power.
I can fire a missile or several, to Washington, to New York, to San Francisco, to London, to Paris, to Madrid… I can destroy Singapore… Tokyo… Manila… Mumbai… Delhi… and why spare South America… how about Buenos Aries… Rio… Santiago… Sao Paulo… then Melbourne… Sydney… and I can fire them at the same time.
I might even send one to the International Court of Justice in The Hague… take care of all those judges while they’re at work… Gordon Brown in England was blabbering the other day about charging me with crimes against humanity. He’d better watch his mouth.
And how I love to see the deference that world leaders show me… every single one of them… for when they come to me they come to see the king.
I look into their eyes carefully and notice how a handshake is not quite enough… that they’d rather bow to me… the deeper the bow the better… and I love it.
Even Xi Jinping… he knows he’s been helpful so that gives him some protection… but it’s up to me, isn’t it… up to me to spare him… for if I get pissed off I’ll bomb the crap out of China, too.
Nero… the emperor… got to see his Rome burn… it must have been exhilarating… but I can add it to my list and see the whole world burn.
I have been able to climb to this position because of my complete subjection of the Russian people. All of them. And those who brand themselves ultranationalists… I let them talk and be critical… but the day I find no use for them or get tired… I’ll round them up and eliminate them. Every single one of them.

He’s been sitting at his desk, now he swivels a little, crosses his legs.

Have I crossed the line?
Yes… I have. There’s no way back for me.
But no modern day leader can say what I can say today… I dominate the world.
I know it won’t last… nothing does… but I’m enjoying the thrill.
Still, I have choices… I can go down in flames with the entire world… exhaust my nuclear arsenal… fire all my missiles and bombs… kill as many as I possibly can… watch hundreds of millions of people destroyed by my fury… bring humanity to their knees… or I can take pity and spare some nations.

He nods to himself.

I know my end is approaching.
It’s been terribly exciting… festive… a carnival of death.
And yet… I’d like to be remembered, too… yes… no point in killing everybody. I know I will die in my fury but I’d like to be remembered… so I must spare some people so they can tell the story… if I have an Achilles heel, then that is it… that I don’t want to see history end.
I want the world to have a memory of me. I want to be studied and quoted and seen as so significant a force that from here on history will be divided into the before Putin era – bP – and the after Putin era – aP.
But can anyone stop me?

He pauses as he joins his hands in his lap.

Only the daring… the very bold… only the willing to sacrifice everything to save the world.
Save it… yes… from me.
I know there are people like that… men and women… now planning to strike the fatal blow…
I can feel it…
But I’d prefer that it be one of my own… a courageous Russian.

Putin and his Conscience

In his temporary lodging, Putin awakens in the middle of the night.
Something was stirring in his mind that interrupted his sleep.
He sits up on the side of the bed.
He switches on the light on the nightstand. It’s 2:05 am.
It’s the first night he spends at this location. It’s secure, with plenty of surveillance.
Yesterday at midday, just before he had lunch, he got a call from his personal secret service.
A possible assassination attempt had been intercepted. He was given some details with more to come as the investigation proceeded.
It has happened before but he feels confident his people are providing excellent protection.
And yet, it’s hard to relax.
‘Hi’
He’s stunned for an instant but recognizes the tone of the voice and sighs with relief.
‘You again…’
‘Yes… me…’
The disembodied voice has no discernible source. It’s just there, all over the room.
Putin looks around the room, slowly.
‘What should I call you?’ he asks.
‘Whatever you wish.’
‘My conscience?’
‘You could say that…’
‘What’s the point?’
‘To help you think.’
‘Ah, that.’ Putin smiles.
‘You’ve said you needed space… that you felt hemmed in by the West… so Ukraine should be yours…’
‘That’s right. Not just my space but Russia’s. I’m doing it for Russia.’
‘I’m familiar with the argument… but as I examine things… it seems to me what you are really needing is enlargement of your mental space.’
‘Aha.’ Putin chuckles.
‘Looks to me like you’re cramped inside your mind…’
‘Cramped?’
‘Yes. For instance, in your way of thinking, sexual orientation is of only one kind… you have to be straight or you fall outside the law.’
‘That’s right.’
‘It doesn’t seem unnatural to you?’
‘Not at all. Russia is the future of mankind and perversions are not allowed.’
‘Wow. It is amazing how you can be so certain about matters so complicated and which stir so much debate in other societies…’
‘Decadent societies. Here in Russia, we strive for purity.’
‘Purity… hmm… that’s a troublesome word, isn’t it? I mean, Hitler used it and then led so many people to their deaths… caused so much disruption… so much pain… so much loss.’
‘You don’t think we can be pure?’
‘No. We’re all tainted, impure… a mix of generosity and hatred… a blend of the sublime and the vile… we’re human…’
‘I don’t want that for my Russia…’
‘… and, surprisingly… the more aware we are of our sometimes sharp contradictions… the more of a chance we have to control our excesses… the more of a chance we have to temper our actions… to perchance find understanding… even kindness.’
‘I’m a great believer in the Russian Orthodox Church and what Patriarch Kirill has to say.’

Pause

‘It’s hard for me to understand how a church like that can be so close minded.’
‘Call it what you will but so long as I have nuclear weapons that’s the way it will be.
I have the power to bring the world to its knees… and Russians love me for it… they love the power I give them… they may be isolated in this world but I make them feel special… big.’
‘We have a problem here, don’t we… it’s hard to get through to you.’

Putin nods pensively.

‘I think I’ve crossed that line. A while back.’
‘I find it amazing… here you are, talking about being special, you and all Russians… and you’re killing you neighbor every day… mothers, fathers, children. In the name of the church?’
‘In the name of a new world order… together with China… a new world order where the rules are written by a few outstanding leaders… like me and Xi… and the rest follow the rules. At first I had doubts I could do it but no longer. I am certain now. I can intimidate them all… Macron, Scholz, Sunak… in fact they’re already working to get Zelensky to compromise and come to the negotiating table… where I will insist on keeping the territory I’ve conquered… and the plan they proposed doesn’t even give Ukraine NATO protection. It’s a victory for me, already. I was right. I could divide the West.’
‘What about America?’
‘America… ha! Makes me laugh. All that talk about freedom and they love strong men, they elected Trump didn’t they? All that talk about freedom’s benefits, but what do they want to do with it? Get a gun!
Ha! And yes, I’ll do everything I can to get Trump reelected. And I’ll ask comrade Xi to help, and together we’ll help persuade the voters that Trump should be president again. And then again, after he changes the rules. Too bad the assault on the Capitol didn’t go well. But look at how many Senators and Representatives still love him? I’m convinced human beings prefer the comforts of living on their knees to the pain and tribulations of having a mind of their own.’
‘In the meantime… you’ll keep killing your neighbors?’
‘They have to learn their lesson.
Maybe one day, in the future, human beings will learn to live in freedom… I admit it has its attractions… love… brotherhood… sisterhood… yes… all that… but that’s in the future… I live in the present. So what do you have to say to that?’
‘In your power… you are not free,’ replies the voice, ‘your mind narrow as your heart.’

All is quiet now.
Putin’s expression turns somber.

Russia Must be Confronted

The story of Ukraine’s valiant fight is a story of courage lost and courage regained.
And a war fought now is a war not fought later.
In 2014 Putin grabbed Crimea. In broad daylight. With everyone looking on, Putin said, ‘I want that land, so I’ll take it.’
And we let him get away with it.
But seeing Ukraine’s enormous effort over the past year has restored our courage.
From the start of the war we supported Ukraine and yet it’s taken a while to increase the number and sophistication of the arms provided.
As Ukraine fought, we gave more and more support.
It was their proud resistance that moved us to add more help.
That effort has helped unite the West in opposing Russia. And it has hardened our resolve for the inevitable confrontation with China.
The benefits to us have been enormous.
And yet, all the while, even as our assistance to Ukraine grew steadily, there was something we weren’t willing to do. We were not willing to say to Putin, ‘do not fire missiles onto Ukraine from the protection of your own territory.’
We never summoned the guts to say that and so stand up to Putin.
The missiles have kept raining over Ukraine and we still have not provided Ukraine with the weapons to respond to such assault for fear of escalating the war.
On their own, Ukraine has devised arms that have reached military bases inside of Russia. But they have not had access to the longer range missiles we could provide and which would be more lethal.
As a result Russia has enjoyed a great advantage and because of it have killed thousands of Ukrainians.
Yesterday, the prime ministers of France, England and Germany, put forth a plan to further arm Ukraine while encouraging it to prepare for peace talks.
But it’s a clear cop out. A clear appeasement of Putin.
The underlying sentiment in the proposal is the growing doubt that Ukraine can achieve a military victory and so it should seek a compromise.
But those appeasing countries are deaf to the plight of Ukraine. A gut wrenching plight that cries out, ‘confront Putin now!. Tell him to stop firing the missiles that are killing us and destroying our infrastructure. Do that and we’ll drive back the Russians to behind their borders.’
The appeasers seem deaf to the plight. It’s not their land being invaded, for if it were they would be singing another tune. Instead, they’re looking the other way and not acknowledging the gift that Ukraine’s effort has given the West.
The proposal made by the three countries does not provide security guarantees under NATO.
A shameful act, for Ukraine, by virtue of the fierceness of its resolve and the blood they’ve spilled in defense of their sovereignty, has more than proved they are a worthy of inclusion in NATO.
Ukraine can win this war. We must provide all the help they need.
The way to shorten the war and save lives, is to confront Putin and say, ‘stop firing the missiles into Ukraine from your territory. If you don’t then we will arm Ukraine with missiles (not nuclear) that can hit you back. If you have missiles to fire, fire them from the territory you have conquered, not from behind the protection of your borders.’
Is that an escalation? You can call it that, but it is a rectification of an unfair advantage, something we should have done long ago.
As Ukraine keeps fighting and we regain our lost courage, we should be ready to stand up for those who have done so much for us.
If France, Germany and Britain object, so be it. In time they’ll return to join us, but for now, their appeasing spirit is calling to them and saying, ‘let us drop to our knees for a while. Rest. Bow.’
Fortunately, there are countries now within NATO, like Poland and the Baltic states along with others, who’re willing to join us.
We cannot let Putin win.
Only Ukrainians can do that. Only they have the right to say, ‘we do not want to fight anymore, we have done enough dying. We no longer can fight to defend our land. We accept defeat.’
Only Ukrainians can do that but they will not.
Maybe present day French and British and Germans are willing to do it, but not Ukrainians.
So it’s up to us, isn’t it?
If we want to be the leader of the Free World there is a price to pay.
This is the time to do it.
We must confront Putin.

When that confrontation happens, Putin will likely bang his nuclear weapon drum but comrade Xi will remind him that we see China as an accomplice in the destruction of Ukraine, and if a nuclear weapon is fired in our direction, China will be our target too.
I am sure that is a risk the comrade is not willing to take.
Putin and Russia are not an island. They need China to survive.
And let us not forget that comrade Xi has plans to become Emperor at some point – who knows how far his kingdom will reach one day – maybe the world – he’s just getting started – and has no desire to see his beloved Beijing and Shanghai go up in flames.

A war fought now is a war not fought later.

Recapping the War. To Putin, STOP THE MISSILES.

The invasion of Ukraine by Putin on February 24th was a brazen power grab.
Putin decided that having Ukraine under his thumb would tell the world, ‘Russia will take the space it needs to feel comfortable.’
To provide some justification for such action, he invented the notion that NATO had seduced Ukraine into joining the West and so encroach upon him.
He ignored the Ukrainian sentiment to not be under the Russian boot.
Putin was expecting Ukraine to not resist his invasion and instead welcome him with open arms – that Ukrainians would bend a knee in honor of his majesty from Moscow.
But Ukrainians put up the fiercest fight of any country against an invader since WWII. Thousands have died and much of the country has been destroyed as they hold fast in defense of their sovereignty.
The West was surprised by the show of courage but has committed to supporting their effort.
And an angry and humiliated Putin has increased his aggression, bombing Ukraine wantonly, and sending ever greater numbers of soldiers to the battlefront.
The West has responded with economic sanctions which have slowed Russia’s economy.
But Russia has countered with restrictions on their sale of gas and oil to Europe on which the continent had become dependent and so affected their productivity.
Still, Europe has been able to deal with the loss by getting LNG (liquefied natural gas) from America and some of the oil and gas producers from the Arabian Gulf.
Russia has fought back on the sanctions by selling their oil and gas at lower prices to clients like China and India.
Meanwhile, China and Iran have provided weapons to Russia, making them outright partners in the war.
While the battle continues to rage on Ukrainian soil, the contending parties are now at a relative standstill. But this will not last for long.
Ukraine keeps asking for more weapons from the West and this has created rifts in the alliance, with some nations showing signs of support fatigue.
If the West doesn’t keep up shipments of armaments to Ukraine, then Russia will have the edge and conquer the country.
But what has Ukraine done for us?
They have awakened us to the reality of a new power balance in the world. Russia and China, who both have totalitarian regimes, want to dominate the world. They want to spread their version of government as far and wide as they possibly can. In their doing so they will attempt to control markets to support their systems.
We cannot let them do that.
At stake is the preservation of human beings’ freedom.
So Ukraine has become the battleground for a new power balance in our world.
Push back Russia to behind its borders with Ukraine and we will be sending a clear signal that our system of government will not be subverted.
Lose in Ukraine and the signal we send will be that we lack the determination to defend any country where an outsider steps in to control it.
But to win in Ukraine we need a greater effort than we have made so far.
To win, we must treat Ukraine as if it is already one of our own.
Ukrainians have fought with enormous courage and that alone should grant them that status. NATO membership procedures need to be modified to give them immediate access.
They would still have to make some governmental structural changes for full membership, but access to the protection against an invader should be given solely on the merits of the courage they have shown.
Turkiye should not be allowed to become an obstacle to such inclusion. Nor should Hungary. Already Turkiye is playing both sides in the conflict. They help Ukraine and Russia. And they have not agreed to join with the rest of NATO nations in sanctions against Russia.
Turkiye has even objected to Sweden’s and Finland’s applications to join NATO unless they allow for the extradition of members of a Kurdish party that is opposed to the present president of Turkiye, a well known autocrat.
Through their enormous courage, Ukraine has become one of our own and should be treated as such.
For those concerned that some of the funds sent to them may be misused, there are remedies for that. But weapons should continue to be provided.
Ukraine and the West must win this war. The conflict should not be allowed to go on and on.
Up until now, Putin has been firing missiles unto Ukraine from inside of Russia which have been responsible for enormous losses in lives and infrastructure.
And yet, we have been reluctant to give Ukrainians the missiles they need to fire back.
Would that be an escalation? Yes.
But it must be done. Step up to Putin and tell him, ‘Either you stop firing the missiles unto Ukraine or we will enable them to do so in return. Your choice’.
Doing this will save thousands of lives.
And it will mark our full commitment to the task of defeating Putin in Ukraine.
To those who think that doing this will push Putin to use his nuclear weapons, I say, Russia will not do so because it will risk a nuclear war.
And China would be the first to remind Putin that if he were to fire such weapons, they too would become a target of the West because they have been a known accomplice of his.
We must act now.
No peace talks should begin unless Putin agrees to withdraw completely from Ukraine. Including from Crimea.
President Biden should more actively speak about the importance of winning this war to all Americans. There is an urgent need to make sacrifices for Ukraine.
And it is for us to lead the effort.

The West’s Reluctance to Stand Up to Putin

The anniversary of the invasion is closing in.
And we have yet to stand up to Putin.
Yes we have sent weapons to Ukraine but not enough.
And they keep dying. Tens of thousands dead and many more wounded/maimed.
We have sent aid, true. America has sent the most.
But as we approach the first anniversary, talk is now growing about sitting down with the aggressor and negotiating.
Fans of Putin, like the Far Right in Italy, are loudly voicing their love for the beauty of Putin’s ways.
And more polls are saying that support for Ukraine’s war is declining.
As if to say to Ukraine, ‘we’ve done enough. We get that you have been courageous and we admire it, but you keep asking for more and we’re getting tired. We have inconvenienced ourselves enough.’
But shouldn’t we stand up to Putin?
‘We should not attempt regime change in Russia,’ says one leader, ‘Russia’s integrity needs guarantees,’ says another. ‘We’ve offered planes, but what we really mean is, we’ll get started on it, and it will take time, maybe years.’
And the hypocrisy keeps growing. The doublespeak, remembering Orwell.
‘We have to live with Russia, they’re part of Europe,’ says another leader.
Yes, by all means, let’s live with Russia! The real Russia. Not the zombies that support Putin!
Russia should be defeated and forced to retreat to behind their borders. And in due time, Russians will deal with Putin and Prigozhin and the Wagner group.
No one is talking extinction. Just get out of Ukraine.
Human beings embrace false beliefs all too easily. No country is spared.
In America, it’s only now that a significant percentage of the population is finally pulling away from the notion that Trump was good for us. Even though he was associated with the assault on Capitol Hill on January 6th 2021 in an effort to alter the results of the presidential election. Even though, he never hid he was a fan of Putin.
‘What is wrong with Putin having a little more of Ukraine than he had before? If that makes him comfortable, why not?’ cry the eager to compromise. Those who have no idea of what freedom is even though they live in the West.
‘Didn’t Germany live as a divided country from 1945 till 1991? History needs time,’ say those eager to accommodate, eager to surrender, those already comfortable living on their knees.
‘Let us not humiliate Putin,’ said Macron at one point and he has yet to apologize to the world for that ludicrous statement.
And still we have not stood up to Putin.
We haven’t because we have let that man send missile after missile to Ukraine and we have not said to him, ‘stop shooting missiles into Ukraine because we will give them missiles to shoot back into your territory!’
We haven’t done that because we’re scared of him.
With all our firepower, we’re still scared of Putin.
All of the West is.
And Putin knows it.
‘I will use my nuclear weapons, do you hear me!?’ cries the most refined human being Russia has ever produced, and the West cringes.
And seeing that the West does not stand up to him, Putin feels free to seek regime change in nearby Moldova, while we look at ourselves and say, ‘Sad situation. But they’re really not part of NATO, either. If they were we would do something about it, wouldn’t we?’ And all the big wigs and generals and diplomats will assent and take a sip from their mineral water. Add some extra butter to their croissant.
So Putin will increase his offensive because the tanks and artillery the West promised will not arrive in time and Ukraine will have to retreat. And he will push and push because the West cannot pull it together to confront him. And he will finally take Kyiv, so the great Russian can finally make his grand entrance as the conqueror of Ukraine.
President Zelensky will die defending his great land because he will not surrender, and if he is caught instead, he will be put on trial for treason and daring to defy the great man in Moscow. He will be sentenced to death by firing squad but to satisfy a western appeal for mercy he will get life in prison instead.
And all western leaders will look at each other and say, ‘well, we did offer him safe passage to the West, didn’t we?’

Why Are We Fighting?

Photo by Kostiantyn Stupak on Pexels.com

The answer is not clear to many because we are being indecisive.
One sign of such indecisiveness has been the reluctance to offer Ukraine the proper weapons to counter Putin’s offensive.
It took forever to agree to sending in the tanks.
It is taking forever to agree to sending in the planes.
Forever to agree to the fact that Russia should not be allowed to be firing missiles into Ukraine from their own territory while insisting that the West should not aid Ukraine with weapons that can land in Russia proper.
Why not?
Are with Ukraine or not?
What are we afraid of?
It is not enough to say we are afraid of Putin. Not enough because he can be confronted on the matter of nuclear weapons.
Our nuclear weapons are just as good as his and China’s. And it should be clear also, that so long as China is around, they will act as a check on Putin because if we’re fired upon then China becomes a target. A target because of their assisting Russia in the killing of Ukrainians and thus a threat to all of us.
No one wants a nuclear war. But we are here because of previous indecisiveness.
In 2014, Putin invaded and took over Crimea while Obama was president. That is on us. On Europe. On the West. We let the bully take a bite out of someone’s else’s land and get away with it. It should have been dealt with on the spot but it was not.
All those high ranking thinkers in Europe and the West kept justifying the buying of oil from Putin, the shaking hands with him as he ruthlessly silenced his population. And Putin knew it. ‘The West is weak’ he concluded. ‘I can take them’.
So here it is.
And he’s not far from the mark because if Trump had won the election in 2020
he would not have objected to Putin calling him up to tell him he was thinking of annexing Ukraine. The mastermind of Make America Great Again would have said to himself, ‘what I really mean when I say MAGA, is for us to stay home and tend to our own garden’. But that won’t do because we live in a big world and with ability comes responsibility. And we have plenty of ability. Trump missed that.
A huge miss. Which is why he should be out of politics altogether.
So why are we fighting?
Because we owe it to Ukraine, who helped break the denial we were in, thinking that coexistence with Putin was possible, thinking that he would be considerate and reasonable.
The world we live in is not like that. If we leave it up to the Chinese they will enslave us.
And so will Putin.
This denial was worse in Europe, which has a long history of it.
Peaceful coexistence is out, so we must invest in being properly armed.
Yet even today, chancellor Scholz in Germany acts with timidity and so Macron in France.
Macron even took the lead for a while in persuading the West to consider Putin’s ‘feelings’, how he should not be humiliated – the poor and frail thing. Since then Macron’s backed off a little but not much.
Recently, in talking about sending more armaments to Ukraine, he spoke of being ‘open to the possibility’ of providing such help. Still tentative, the French President. Never mind the mounting toll of dead Ukrainians. Macron must have thought that we can dilly dally so long as those croissants are warm for breakfast.
As far as Chancellor Scholz is concerned, he should step down and let someone else take over in time of war, such is his difficulty making choices.
Yesterday, the British stepped forward and offered to supply planes. But it will take time to train the pilots to operate them. Time that equals more dead Ukrainians.
Biden replied that we would not be sending F-16s. Again, the fear of upsetting Putin.
Meanwhile, Zelensky, who feels deeply the continued loss of life in his great land, keeps begging for assistance. Begging. On his knees for his dear land.
‘We will do the dying, but please give us the weapons,’ he keeps imploring us all.
‘Trust that we will give all we have in pursuit of victory.’
True, there has already been much assistance from the West and because of it Ukraine stands today, but there should be more.
If there is more, then this war can come to an end soon.
So, please, let us help Ukraine win the fight of their lives.
We owe it to them.
I repeat, we owe it to them because they are helping us break through the denial that both Russia and China are not rapacious adversaries.
We must stand up to Putin. To Xi Jinping. Even if it inconveniences us.
Ukrainians are doing the dying.
Surely we can put up with some more discomfort.
Let us give Ukraine all the help they need.
Let us say to Russia, ‘if you don’t stop firing missiles into Ukraine from your own territory, then we will arm Ukraine so it can do the same.
And we will give them planes.
And the moment Ukrainians succeed in pushing you back to behind your borders, we will give them full NATO protection because they deserve it.’
The blood Ukraine has shed and will shed, has lifted them as a mighty example of heroism.
They need us now.

Violence and Impoverishment

Violence is a sign of it.
A few days ago I read of a physician in Dana Point, California, struck from behind by a car while he was riding his bike, then stabbed in the back and shot several times. He died from his injuries. He was 58 and practicing emergency medicine in the area. No ties between the killer and the victim have been established.
That same day I read of a whole family, including children, being killed by gang members in Central California. The same article spoke of the existence of over 30 thousand gangs in the nation.
In Miami, a man was convicted of manslaughter for hitting another who fell back and injured his brain, later dying. The conflict had started over a traffic dispute. The SUV where the assailant was travelling blocked the way of the other vehicle at an intersection. The other driver got out to complain. Words were said, then the man found guilty of manslaughter stepped out of the SUV and struck the complainant. He was sentenced to 5 years.
The less the restraint the more the societal impoverishment.
At the national level, Mr Trump is a known factor in the assault on Capitol Hill on January 6th, 2021. He, too, is a sign of impoverishment. National impoverishment.
And yet he’s announced his candidacy for president. Some people have even donated to the campaign.
At the international level, Putin chooses to attack Ukraine and is now guilty of the murder of thousands of Ukrainians and thousands of Russians. A sign of impoverishment on a grand scale. Russia, for all its riches, is presently a poor nation.
Here in America, we must be careful not to become one, for we keep killing each other. At a mall, at a dance hall, at a subway station, a school, on the street, anywhere.
Not being able to resolve our differences is a sign of societal impoverishment.
Opposing sides have chosen to give up on dialogue. Chosen to devalue the importance of it.
A nation filled with the talent to devise highly sophisticated technology, to make enormous advances in the world of genetics, artificial intelligence, space travel, medicine, transportation, automation, has not found a way to improve conflict resolution between human beings.
We have not found a way to square with our emotional world and acknowledge that, not being able to dialogue is a sign of impoverishment. Emotional and cultural.
We bleed because of it.
And, it seems, we haven’t bled enough. Because we have yet to face the insanity of not having the courage to sit down and talk to each other.
We urgently need leaders who have this courage.
Men and women who are not afraid to speak to their constituencies.
Men and women in positions of leadership who can look their supporters in the eye and say to them, ‘Compromise is hard work but it must be done. Without it we will not go forward. If you disagree with me and don’t want to vote for me next time, so be it. But that’s what I will try hard to do. Sit down with the opposition and find common ground.
At times we will want to vent our emotions – have our catharsis – but without emotional control, without continence, without respect for the other side, no matter how flawed we think they may be, we cannot move forward. A balance is needed between the two. We’re missing that balance. We talk about compromise but we want the other side to do most of it. It will not work that way.’
That is the kind of leadership we need. Men and women willing to risk the support of their constituents to find common ground. Leaders who can educate us.
Those leaders do exist. They live in our midst.
During the Depression in the 1930s, our nation went through very hard times. And a leader emerged to guide us through it. Franklin Delano Roosevelt did so. We went on to overcome the Depression and then lead the Free World in the fight against Fascism in WWII.
Nations respond to leaders who have a deep commitment to all its citizens, not just a special group.
Leaders who are not beholden to their constituencies but who dare do what needs to be done in the interest of the nation.
We need them urgently.

The Three Things to Win the War

One – Give Ukraine all it needs to push Russia back to behind its borders.

Time is critical. Zelensky has called for fighter jets.
The sooner we provide them, the quicker the benefits.
We don’t have to idealize Ukraine to acknowledge their tremendous courage,
their commitment to defend their land and affirm their right to self determination.
They have their flaws, like all of us do, but they have made their choice.
Victory or death. And they have been brilliant.
Can anyone recall any western nation making that choice since the end of WWII, as they fight a foe much more powerful militarily than them?
No western nation has done that.
Does Russia have the commitment Ukraine has?
No.
The majority of Russians have been living in a trance induced by Putin. They have swallowed whole the lies they have been fed.
It will take some time for that nation to come to terms with the historical costs of such passivity. Eventually, other leaders will arise and the necessary self scrutiny will take place. Meanwhile, all consenting Russians are accomplices in the atrocities committed against Ukraine.
A Russian not lifting a finger to dissent with Putin is an accomplice of his.

Two – Stop Russia from firing missiles into Ukraine from Russia itself.

This is unacceptable. It keeps happening because we’ve been afraid to confront Putin.
Why are we allowing this advantage to the Russians?
We should say to Putin, stop firing missiles from your territory or we will provide Ukrainians with the same capability.
Since when are Ukrainian lives less dear than those of Russia?
With their actions, Ukrainians have been loudly saying to the world, this war is winnable.
They are right and in need of our full backing.
Ukraine is standing today because of the effort made by the West to arm them. But we also have pressing problems of our own that need our resources and attention, the more reason to bring the war to an end as soon as possible.
So let us gather our own courage to put limits on Putin.

Three – The moment that Russia is pushed back to behind its borders we should declare Ukraine to have all the protections of a NATO member.
Given all the sacrifices Ukrainians have made and the atrocities committed by Putin and his fellow Russians, Ukrainians are deserving of such protection.
I am sure this could be agreed upon.
Turkiye’s president may object, as he has in blocking Sweden’s and Norway’s membership, but the man likes to play both sides and has yet to agree to the sanctions on Russia imposed by the West. So NATO should boot him out of the organization, let him cozy up to China instead and good luck with that.

This war should not go on and on. Ukrainians have limits. The nations forming part of the western alliance have limits, too.
The sooner the war ends, the better for all.
We should give Ukraine everything it needs now.
Ukraine’s commitment to succeed can push back Russia to behind its borders, and with NATO’s protections have the security to start rebuilding what will be a remarkable nation, the envy of all Russians and all other nations living without human beings’ basic freedoms.

Bolder, Mr Biden.

After long delays the approval for sending tanks to Ukraine was given. But it will take months before they arrive. A delay measured in lives lost.
The delay was largely due to German obstructionism. Chancellor Scholz, for whatever reasons, putting up obstacles to assist Ukraine.
This delay has given Putin an advantage. Not only can they keep firing missiles from their own territory but, with greater number of soldiers, now they can push more effectively against Ukraine’s resistance.
Zelensky has called for fighter jets and longer range missiles to defend his nation.
We should give them to him as soon as possible.
Mr Scholz will likely put up other obstacles to not do what is needed, but if Germans themselves don’t bypass him, then we should. How? One option is to come to a consensus that, in the upcoming rebuilding of Ukraine, contracts to companies to do the work be awarded in proportion to how helpful their nations of origin were in assisting Ukraine. Scholz’s obstructionism should put German companies at the bottom of the list.
Ukraine’s enormous effort, dying in defense of democracy, is being underestimated.
So far, we have been intimidated every time that Putin talks of his nuclear weapons.
We cannot allow him to brow beat us.
His threats need to be met with resolve. And arming Ukraine with all it needs, short of nuclear weapons, is the answer
At this time China is going all out to bypass the economic sanctions the West has imposed on Putin. They are afraid of a victory by Ukraine because such victory will empower the growing resistance in China against the dictatorial powers of their communist party.
Ukrainians have made the commitment to push back Russia to behind its borders. Doing so will transform not only Ukraine but also Russia.
By now we know the courage is there. What is needed is to arm it.
For that, Western boldness is needed.
There are nations in the alliance that will prefer to scream loudly against such a position but to delay assistance is the equivalent to siding with Putin. We cannot allow it.
So it falls to you, Mr Biden, to be bolder in the interest of all nations.
Imagine the power of a fully recovered Ukraine with all its borders reclaimed and rebuilt with the assistance of the West?
Such light will shine so bright that it will move Russians to carefully examine why they have subjected themselves to the authority of Putin. They will realize they have consented to devaluing themselves by not fully exercising their political and economic freedoms.
When that starts to happen, if Putin has lasted that long, he will be asked to leave.
The same process is likely to happen in next door China and other nations farther away.
Ukraine’s uniqueness deserves all the support it needs and the resulting benefits will be great.
A nuclear war is a very distant possibility because China will act as a check on Putin.
China does not want a nuclear war. They know that if one is triggered, they would be caught in it because we would have to fire on them also.
You have done a great job, thus far, Mr Biden. Greater boldness is needed to finish the job.
You can do it.